


come back, be here

by resfeber



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Pining, Romance, baekhyun is a soft boyfriend, lots of pining, terrible attempt at text conversations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2017-03-04
Packaged: 2018-09-27 12:21:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10020602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/resfeber/pseuds/resfeber
Summary: This is falling in love in the cruelest way.orYixing leaves for China and Baekhyun tries not to miss him. (He does anyway.)





	

••••••

“Baekhyun-ah. Don’t cry.” 

Incheon International Airport was huge and spacious, but right now, it was filled to the brim with screaming girls and the frantic clicking of cameras, banners waved excitedly in the air.

“I’m not crying.”

Two sniffles followed. 

“You can’t cry,” Yixing tried to sound stern, but the adoration shining in his red-rimmed eyes as he stared at the shorter boy said anything but. “If you cry, I’ll cry, and then Zitao and Lu-ge will make fun of me later when we get on the plane. You don’t want that, do you?”

“Then just don’t go.”

Yixing couldn’t help but crack a fond (and disgusting, according to Jongdae) smile at the sight of his boyfriend’s chocolate mop of hair nuzzled into his chest.

From the watchful eyes of paparazzis and dedicated fans, Baekhyun loved and was loved by all of his members, so it wasn’t an unusual occurrence when the singer was seen showing his affection for one of his hyungs.

Only the two of them knew about meaningful smiles and intimate whispers in hotel rooms when they both couldn't sleep, stuck in the hours between Seoul and New York, and like this, it would stay. 

Yixing hummed a foreign melody, thumb tracing mindless patterns on the small of Baekhyun’s back.

“I’ll be back before you know it. And I’ll buy you gifts and text you so much, you’ll want to break up with me.”

Baekhyun cracked a watery smile.

They had stayed like that, cold fingers entangled within Yixing’s coat pocket, until the very last second when EXO-M’s manager had to come and usher Yixing away with a reminder of _5 minutes._  

“I’ll miss you. Take care of yourself, hyung. Don’t stay up past four even if you’re writing a song. Music can wait. I’m serious.”

The singer looked like he was about to cry again.

“I promise. I’ll be watching you next week, stay hydrated and don’t cause too much trouble for Junmyeon while I’m gone, yeah?”

And then, after a fleeting whisper of _I love you,_ Yixing was off _._

Baekhyun could only nod, knowing that if he said anything else the tears would come again and he can’t have Yixing worrying about him just before he started promotions.

He bit the inside of his cheek and put on his biggest grin, waving as he watched his boyfriend and half of his bandmates disappear behind the gate, leaving him in the departure terminal with thoughts of vast oceans and busy flights that never seemed to bring Yixing back to him.  

••••••

It was the first letter that tipped Baekhyun over the edge.

Junmyeon handed him the blue envelope half an hour after rehearsal. He noticed the careful, loopy handwriting that spelled out his name in Mandarin and jolted upright, wiping away the sweat that blurred his vision.

 _My Boxian,_ it read.

He scanned the two, three, four pages folded neatly inside and oh my god, Zhang Yixing had written him a love letter.

In clumsy Korean sentences, Yixing talked about how happy he was to be back home and how welcoming everyone was. Although they had just debuted not long ago, the amount of fans that gathered at the airport to await the arrival of the Chinese sub-unit made him a little breathless.

Baekhyun understood the feeling. He remembered his first time flying out to a different country for a performance and being wide-eyed from shock at the sheer force of the noise. He and Yixing had been barely lovers then, still at the awkward stage where they weren’t sure if lines could be crossed, the only thing making sense was being with each other. Baekhyun had sneaked a small glance at the older man and silently hooked his pinky onto Yixing’s like a promise, as they pushed their way through the crowd.

By the second half of the first page, Yixing began to ask about Baekhyun. Questions about his health and reminders to _eat a lot_ and _don’t forget to rest_ scattered throughout. The words _I miss you,_ crossed out and rewritten twice due to incorrect spelling, left a tingling feeling in Baekhyun’s chest and he was suddenly consumed in the rawness of just missing Yixing and wanting him there.

Baekhyun was reminded once again of how far away Yixing was and maybe, this was the scariest part.

If they had been normal lovers, at their age, Yixing might have just been away on a business trip, and maybe Baekhyun would have decided to book himself a ticket to surprise his boyfriend. The older man would have grinned and scolded him gently, not meaning a single word as he scooped him up in his arms.

But they were not.  

Baekhyun understood more than anything that he couldn’t just get up and leave. He had as much responsibility as Yixing and this was the path that they chose.

Fame came with excitement and adrenaline and suddenly, it wasn’t just Baekhyun and Yixing inside the dimly lit practice room anymore.

It was Baekhyun and Yixing of Chinese-South Korean boy group EXO, presented like a brand new toy in front of thousands, broadcasted to prying eyes curious to see if SM’s newest moneymaker was up to their standards or if they were just another washout. It was now Baekhyun of EXO-K, who would do promotions in Korea, and Lay of EXO-M in mainland China.

Baekhyun knew that it was worth it, all of this. All the sweat and tears and failures from years of training just to hear the word _debut_.

He loved it, of course, loved being able to sing his heart out on stage to an ocean of silver light alongside his closest friends. Yet somehow, the day dragged on a little longer, nights were a bit too silent, all because the person that made it all bearable and worthwhile wasn’t there with him.

He couldn't help but think about the downside of it all. About going home to their dorm with six less voices, especially one that he missed the most, and feeling the dreaded emptiness that will no doubt settle itself inside him as he tries not the press that call button.

Junmyeon called for the end of the break as stage lights flickered on, everyone scrambling into their positions. Time still passed, work still continued, and he was still a main vocalist with a show to perform. The memory of Yixing’s voice popped into his head, then, reminding him that he would be watching their performance tonight.

His fingers traced over the last line of the letter.

_你是我的唯_

Baekhyun stuck the papers back inside and smoothed out the envelope, keeping the words tucked inside his heart.

 

••••••

**_Seoul, 5:23 A.M._ **

zyx1007: baekhyunie

zyx1007: i want to tell you something....

zyx1007: you're my

zyx1007: xoxo l-o-v-e

(baekhyunee_e is typing...)

zyx1007: too much, it's you, your love, it's an overdose~

baekhyuneee_e: i think you should cut down on your korean classes hyung

zyx1007: hahahaha

zyx1007: how was practice? ^^

baekhyuneee_e: _(attachment.jpg)_

zyx1007: oh my god

zyx1007: is kyungsoo ok???

baekhyuneee_e: yeah he’s fine lol, his face looks really stupid when he falls right? kinda like a constipated penguin

zyx1007: I miss you guys, zitao puts his leg on me when he sleeps and won’t stop snoring

zyx1007: how can he snore through my headphones when I have it on full blast???

baekhyuneee_e: I would laugh but I know exactly what that’s like, putting a pillow over his head until he stops kicking usually does the trick

zyx1007: I miss you so much

baekhyuneee_e: six more weeks! I won’t let u breathe when u come back 

zyx1007: is that a promise ;)

baekhyunee_e: why don’t u find out? 

(zyx1007 wants to start a video call...)

 

**_Shanghai, 3:45 A.M._ **

zyx1007: r u up?

baekhyunee_e: no

zyx1007: miss u much :((((

baekhyunee_e: don’t quote ur own song hyung that’s embarrassing

baekhyunee_e: it’s so late over there, go to sleep

zyx1007: u said i shouldn’t stay up past 4, it’s only 3:45~ u know i can’t sleep without u

baekhyunee_e: I hate u

baekhyunee_e: come back already 

zyx1007: I would if I could, in a heartbeat

 

**_Beijing, 5:30 A.M._ **

baekhyunee_e: hey, how’s everything?

baekhyunee_e: i miss you

 _Seen_ at 12:06 A.M.

zyx1007: sorry, baekhyun-ah, our schedule was packed today

zyx1007: I’ll call you tomorrow

zyx1007: promise

zyx1007: i love you

 

_**Seoul, 5:23 P.M.** _

Missed calls from _Lay hyung <3_ **(4)**

 

**Beijing, 1:45 A.M.**

Missed calls from _Baekhyunnie_ **(6)**

 

••••••

Nightly skype calls dwindled into weekly phone conversations rushed in between precious breaks when the both of them found themselves with less than a few minutes to spare. And that, too, eventually subsided to sporadic texts, received hours after it was sent.

Baekhyun didn’t remember when he stopped checking for replies because he rarely received anything much more than a few words and the occasional _i miss you too_ anyway.

••••••

**_2011_ **

_Baekhyun was a shameless flirt._

_Anyone who had interacted with the boy for more than ten minutes can confirm that yes, Byun Baekhyun was an insufferable, shameless flirt. A frustratingly charming one. He had been in the company for no more than two months and all the long-time trainees have already heard of him: the rookie with the powerhouse vocals who had a box-shaped smile and could be heard from two rooms away. His sunbaenims took an immediate liking to the charming newbie, warming up to Baekhyun after their first meeting._

_Yixing, well, was Yixing. He danced in his sleep and lived in the practice room. The second he stepped foot out of that audition, not much else occupied his mind except practice, compose, practice, and debut. He kept himself low-key, bowed to seniors when necessary and spent most of his free time calling his parents back home, missing the feeling of being able to speak his mother tongue in a foreign country._  

_He had friends, of course, Jongdae and Junmyeon who often called him when they ordered fried chicken at one a.m., cracking loud jokes in between drinks. He could barely keep up with the conversation most of the time, but they didn’t seem to mind._

_And really, Yixing was more than okay with this, learning and practicing and composing late into the night, keeping to himself and trying for the sake of his dreams._  

_Until Baekhyun came along._

_The last thing Yixing expected was for a small brown-haired boy to poke in his head through the door in the middle of his rehearsal, grin at him, and sit down without a word. So he took one look at the stranger and said:_

_“Um. Please get out.”_

_They stared at each other for what seemed like years (two minutes, Baekhyun later told him), until the tension became too much for the boy and he chuckled nervously before bolting out, leaving Yixing to stare at the door slowly creaking shut in confusion._

_It took some insistent whining to Heechul on Baekhyun's part but he eventually found out that the man’s name was Zhang Yixing, a Chinese trainee of three years, who only knew conversational Korean and was rarely seen outside of the practice room._

_Well that explained_ that _._

_It wasn’t until after their company assessment that he spoke to Yixing properly for the first time. They had their second conversation when Baekhyun bumped into the dancer’s tall frame on the way back to the studio._

_“I’m sorr- oh.”_

_Yixing stared down at Baekhyun and it reminded him of when the taller had kicked him in the most formal and polite way possible._ _Instead of feeling offended, Baekhyun found himself chuckling at the memory._ _No one had ever told him to leave so bluntly before, although he suspected they might have thought much worse things everytime he opened his mouth._

_“Um, hyung, do you remember me? You told me to get out? No?”_

_“Ah, right.” The blank look was still apparent on Yixing’s face. “Sorry, uh, you’re new, right? I’m Zhang Yixing. Please ask me if you need help with anything. Let’s work hard.”_

_The curt reply surprised Baekhyun, but he thought it suited the man somehow._

_“Wait! Can, uh, can you teach me how to dance?”_

_Yixing blinked at that, clearly taken back, “Teach you? We have a choreographer.”_

_“I mean, I know but nothing beats learning one-on-one, you know?" Baekhyun scratched his neck bashfully. "I got in because of my voice but I’m completely terrible at dancing, not even joking, you know when you go fishing and the fish starts flopping around on deck because it's dying? That’s kind of what I look like when I dance except that there’s music in the background. So I’m a fish flopping to music, I guess."_

_Baekhyun saw the corner of Yixing’s mouth twitch slightly and spurred on, hands waving animatedly to prove his point,_ _“I want to dance like you. I saw you that time and you’re_ so _good, hyung, how do you it? Ah! That thing you did with your back, you_ have _to teach me that. If I tried to bend my body like that I think I really wouldn’t be on this Earth anymore-”_

_Baekhyun’s rambling was interrupted by the sound of shrill laughter and Yixing clutching his stomach, eyes crinkling as unconstrained laughter echoed through the hallway._

_It felt like the building rose a couple degrees but he wasn’t sure if it was the heat of the room or the rising heat of his cheeks. Baekhyun couldn't help but stifle a grin also._

_When the laughter died down and Yixing had wiped away the stray tears on his cheeks, he looked at Baekhyun and this time, there was a fond glimmer in his eyes._

_“Baekhyun-ssi, you’re too much. I’ve never heard someone compare dancing to a fish in my life.”_

_Baekhyun beamed at the comment. He thought that he’d like to hear the melodious sound again and again if he could._

_“So what do you say, hyung?_  "

_Yixing looked like he was about crack up again, but he reached out instead, giving a light ruffle of the younger’s hair. Baekhyun found himself leaning into the touch._

_“We can start tomorrow. Practice room at nine after breakfast. See you there, Baekhyun.”_

_After that first practice, Baekhyun plopped down next to Yixing at lunch and said something that made the dancer laugh so hard milk came out of his nose. A few months along the line, no one remembers the last time they saw one without the other._ _Where there was Baekhyun, there was Yixing. The latter adored the smaller boy, Baekhyun positively basking in the attention._

_Eventually, their daily laughter slowly turned into subtle, bashful glances._

_When Baekhyun cornered the elder one day after vocal practice and pressed his thin lips softly against Yixing’s once, twice, three times, the dancer didn’t push him away._

••••••

That was something from a long time ago, a simpler time, and Baekhyun smiled at the memory, as he often did when he thought of Yixing.

The usual noise of the sleepless Seoul streets was almost completely overtaken by the pitter-patter of rain hitting the concrete. Baekhyun stared up at the ceiling after drifting in and out of consciousness, any hope of getting some sleep long gone by now.

The alarm clock read 4:30 a.m.

In a few hours he would have to be up, fussy stylists hovering over him to perfect his make-up, polishing him into EXO-K’s Baekhyun.

He thought about Yixing’s hands intertwined in his, the feeling of soft lips on his skin that burned up with every drag of the older’s mouth. He also thought about Yixing’s fingers dancing across the jet-black piano, pencil scratching on blank sheets as the he jolted down melodies and lyrics, lips between his teeth. _Yixing, Yixing, Yixing_.

Two more weeks until Yixing is home.

Baekhyun wasn’t sure what home was to Yixing anyway. Was it the nights where all twelve of them gathered in the cramped space of their practice room at two a.m. after a particular demanding session for their comeback, laughing into the night even though exhaustion etched itself in their limbs?

Or maybe his home was never here at all. Maybe Yixing’s home was both Korea and China, but not quite one or the other, just somewhere between boarding gates and take-offs while he took Baekhyun’s home with him every time he stepped on another plane, packing his heart away until the next time they met.

Always next time.

••••••

Incheon International Airport was huge and spacious, filled to the brim with screaming girls and the frantic clicking of cameras, but right now, the only thing Baekhyun could hear was the incessant buzzing that settled itself somewhere deep in the bottom of his chest.

EXO-M had landed in Korea, finally finishing their Chinese promotions and the group would be wrapping up their comeback as a whole with twelve members. _Twelve_. The thought made Baekhyun bounce on the balls of his feet, barely able to contain his excitement.

Yifan popped through the door first, ashy blonde hair quiffed back perfectly, lifting his hand once into a quick wave. After a few minutes, he was followed by Luhan and Minseok, the older male laughing loudly at something Minseok said. The screams became louder and louder as each member passed through the gate. 

It wasn’t until their manager escorted Jongdae out that he finally spotted Yixing. Baekhyun stilled for awhile, almost in shock, before he pinched himself as a reminder not to act out of place even though all he wanted to do right then was run and run until all he could feel was Yixing’s body against his, together and there and _home_.

It wasn’t until much much later that Baekhyun finally got a taste of what he had been longing for for three months.

At the dorms, after _how was your flights,_   _congratulations,_ and the obligatory group hug (courtesy of sentimental leader Kim Junmyeon), when everyone retreated back to their own rooms, Zhang Yixing found himself sandwiched between a wall and a tiny vocalist centimeters away from his face.

Pressed up against the door of their shared room, Baekhyun couldn’t get enough of his boyfriend. Yixing kissed like he danced, meticulously and passionately, mouth roaming, ravishing any part of Baekhyun he could reach. 

“Baekhyun, I'm-”

But the singer had reached up and cupped Yixing’s cheeks in his palm, tracing the line of his jaw, and the rest of the sentence was lost against his tongue.

Yixing hovered over Baekhyun at first, groaning softly, the sound guttural and low in his throat as his arms eventually circled around Baekhyun’s waist, gathering the smaller boy up against him, Baekhyun’s legs growing weaker as their bodies molded together in an ardent frenzy.

“You- hmph- idiot,” Baekhyun whispered against his mouth and Yixing found himself sighing into the touch. “I missed you. _So_ _much_.”

When they finally pulled back, eyes glazed over and panting hard, the dancer’s mouth was swollen crimson and slick with the force of how hard Baekhyun was kissing him.

“Baekhyun-ah, I’m home.”

••••••

Much later, when Baekhyun had nestled his head into Yixing’s bare arms content and blissful and _happy_ , that he found his answer.

Yixing never belonged to a home like Seoul, the city much too bright and alive and foreign, no matter how much time he had to get used to it. But Yixing’s home wasn’t Changsha, where he could taste his mother’s cooking and smell the scent of his childhood bedroom he never seemed to be able to get rid of. 

Home had never been a place ever since Baekhyun stepped into the picture, making Yixing’s stomach drop and his heart swell, forgetting the last time his chest felt this full just by hearing the sound of someone calling his name.

Baekhyun’s head was a bit of a whirlwind, not quite able to catch up with all his thoughts and feelings, but he knew Yixing would be there at the end of the storm, arms open and welcoming and heartbeat falling into rhythm with his own.

It didn’t matter if the dancer was gone for months on end or if one of them was thousands of miles away because they would always find their ways back to each other, back home.

It should be scary and terrifying and chaotic, but the idea of loving and being loved by Yixing left him breathless and exhilarated, sweeping him off his feet, because really, there was nothing uncertain about giving his heart away to the man he trusted most.

And maybe this was all a bit crazy and a bit fast, but Yixing was a sure thing, he’d be here tomorrow and the day after and many many more days to come, and Baekhyun was more than okay with that.

**Author's Note:**

> 你是我的唯 ₁ - "you are my only one"
> 
>  
> 
> Hello! This was kind of inspired by the clip of Yixing video calling EXO during their press conference (you can watch it [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUoM7u2xb5g)), because a clueless Yixing is an adorable Yixing and it had me thinking about long distance baekxing. Did anyone else hear Baekhyun's little "bye~" in Mandarin at the end? They will be the death of me.
> 
> I'm not sure if you caught it but the summary and title were lyrics taken from Taylor Swift's song "Come Back Be Here."
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and please let me know what you thought! If you have questions or comments, my twitter is @tinyvocaiist :)


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